Application Field
The present invention relates to the technical field of making teleconferences by electronic means. In particular, the invention relates to a system for making a teleconference with a realistic simulation of a direct conversation. The invention also relates to a method for making a teleconference, in which the above-mentioned system is used.
Description of the Prior Art
Several methods and systems for making teleconferences (in particular, audio-video conferences), that allow speakers located in remote locations from one another to communicate, are known and more and more widespread, for example, allowing meetings in which the participants are in different locations, suitably equipped for making the teleconference. Such systems are based on electronic means, for the audio-video acquisition and reproduction, and for the telecommunication of the corresponding signals. In particular, the apparatuses that make the teleconference possible, in each of the equipped sites, are typically video cameras and microphones, to acquire video-audio signals to be sent remotely; screens (for example televisions) and loudspeakers to reproduce the video-audio signals coming from remote; interface devices, which manage the video-audio signals received, or to be transmitted, and interfacing with a telecommunications network.
In this field, the need is much felt, to ensure an interaction that is as much as possible realistic between speakers and an accurate simulation of a natural interlocution, so that the teleconference meetings are more and more similar to real meetings, where the participants are present together.
To this aim, systems and methods are known, which are suitable to improve, in several aspects, the quality of the teleconference: for example, increasing the quality of the audio-video signals, by an improvement of the audio-video acquisition and reproduction devices, and of the telecommunications systems adopted; or, increasing the number of video cameras and/or microphones installed, and consequently being able to send a plurality of sounds/images, which can be managed by the apparatuses at the remote site to improve the projection/reproduction service; or, again, adding and integrating other communication means, for example, e-mail, ftp, or other services for sending electronic files, until even allowing the remote projection of electronic files in conjunction with, in addition to or in replacement of the images and sounds.
In spite of the availability of solutions somehow advanced, as those mentioned above, those skilled in various fields (relating to aspect that are both technological and behavioral/psychological) agree in saying that, to date, a considerable difference still remains between the naturalness and the efficiency ensured by a direct interaction and those allowed by a mediated, remote interaction.
In particular, in the field of consulting services, where the interaction between the consultant and the customer is essential for the consultant success and the customer satisfaction, the degree of reality simulation of the interaction allowed by a teleconference is not sufficient to ensure the desired requirements. This fact results in a non-optimal quality of the offered service, or even in a barrier that actually prevents the diffusion of the remote consulting activity. For example, there is no doubt that the customer prefers a direct interaction, and that he/she is led, maybe only unconsciously, to mistrust a remote consulting.
On the other hand, it is also apparent that considerable advantages would originate from a diffusion of remote consulting services, both to the provider, who/which could optimize the costs and quality of the consulting, providing to all customers, also the remote ones, a pool of experts and specialists, present for example at their headquarters; and to the customers, who could access to the above-mentioned optimized services also from peripheral locations compared to the headquarters, and more cost-effective for them.
Consider, only by way of example, a specialized financial advice, given by a pool of experts of a headquarter of a bank institution and available to each customer of any branch of that bank, provided that it is equipped with teleconference apparatuses. In order to allow that such kind of service may emerge, be accepted, become efficient and widespread, it is necessary that a perceivable improvement is achieved of the possibilities to communicate in remote in a realistic and natural manner.
From what has been stated above, it shall be understood that the need is strongly felt, of having such teleconference systems and methods as to ensure a natural and efficient communication, so as to make the conversations and interaction from remote as similar as possible to those established in a real meeting, and to give the speakers the impression to be present together. Such need, generally felt in many fields, is particularly compelling in the field of the provision of consulting services from remote, where it is even an enabling element as regard the possibility itself to diffuse such services.